Miss India or Femina Miss India is a national beauty pageant in India that annually selects
representatives to compete globally.
It is organised by Femina, a women's magazine published by Bennett, Coleman & Co. Ltd.
Femina Miss India used to select three winners who were then sent to Miss World, Miss Universe,
and Miss Asia Pacific International pageants, respectively.
In 1994, after India's historic win at the International pageants, the organization ended
the practice of crowning a single winner and instead decided that the top three winners
were designated as winners with equal visibility and prizes.
In 2002, the third winner was designated to Miss Earth instead of Miss Asia Pacific.
In 2010, Femina Miss India decided that they would no longer send a representative to Miss
Universe, and relinquished the Miss Universe franchise, choosing instead to designate the
third winner to represent India in Miss International pageant.
In 2013, Miss Universe Organization awarded back the franchise to Bennett, Coleman & Co.
Ltd, a separate pageant Miss Diva 2013 was conducted to send representative to Miss Universe.
History The first Miss India was Pramila, from Calcutta,
who won in 1947.[1] [2] Over the years, Indian participation in the
international picture has grown.
International pageants Miss India has been participating in the Miss
Universe pageant since 1952, starting with Indrani Rehman and in the Miss World pageant
since 1959, starting with Fleur Ezekiel.
Historically, the Femina Miss India pageant sent the winner of the pageant to the Miss
Universe pageant, and Eve's Weekly, a rival women's publication sent the winner of its
Miss India contest to Miss World.
In the late 80s, Femina acquired the rights to send a representative to Miss World as
well, and started to send the winner to Miss Universe and the runner-up to the Miss World
contest.
In 1994, following India's historic dual wins at both Miss Universe and Miss World, the
custom of crowning a single winner was discontinued.
Instead, the top three placers were each designated a winner, with equal prizes, visibility and
responsibilities, and crowned Femina Miss India-Universe, Femina Miss India-World, and
Femina Miss India-Asia Pacific.
In 2002, the third title was changed to Femina Miss India-Earth, to designate India's representation
at the newly launched Miss Earth pageant, focused on the cause of environmental advocacy.
From 2007 to 2009, three equal winners were selected going to Miss Universe, Miss World,
and Miss Earth.
In 2010, Femina Miss India decided to stop sending representatives to the Miss Universe
pageant entirely, choosing instead to send a crowned winner to Miss International.
The awards for 1989 were given at the end of the year; hence there was no separate contest
for 1990.
In 1994, Sushmita Sen won the Miss Universe title after winning the Miss India crown and
became the first Indian woman ever to win the Miss Universe crown.
The same year the runner-up of Miss India, Aishwarya Rai, won the Miss World title.
Sushmita Sen and Aishwarya Rai established themselves in the Bollywood industry after
winning their titles.
The success of Rai and Sen spawned coaching institutions which were set up to groom young
women in pageant participation skills.
The number of participants in the preliminary rounds of the pageant has increased considerably.
Miss India World 1997, Diana Hayden won the title of Miss World 1997.
In 1999, the Miss India runner-up Yukta Mookhey went on to win the Miss World that year.
In 2000, three of the Miss India winners won their respective international pageants — Lara
Dutta, Priyanka Chopra and Diya Mirza.
The other countries to have won all three major titles in one year were Australia in
1972.
In 2010, Nicole Faria became the first Indian to win the Miss Earth title in Vietnam, which
leaves Miss International as the only major international pageant that has not been won
by an Indian contestant.
In 2012, Himangini Singh Yadu won Miss Asia Pacific World 2012 and became first Indian
and Asian to win the pageant.
She was sent by I Am She - Miss Universe India pageant.
In 2013, Srishti Rana won Miss Asia Pacific World 2013 giving India a rare back to back
victory.
She is the second Indian and first Femina Miss India Winner to win Miss Asia Pacific
World Crown Controversies
Controversies erupted in 2008 when president of Gladrags, Maureen Wadia, served a legal
notice to the newly crowned Pantaloons Femina Miss India Earth 2008, Harshita Saxena for
violation of a two-year exclusive contract with Gladrags which had been signed by Harshita
in 2006.
To participate in any other beauty pageant, Harshita would have required a written letter
of no-objection from Gladrags.
Earlier in an interview with CNN-IBN Maureen Wadia said, "Harshita Saxena from Goa is a
Gladrags model.
She was a part of my Megamodel Contract in April 2006.
Her contract has not expired and Harshita has entered in some other contest before the
contract has expired.
The contract clearly said that she has to take my permission."
Owing to this, Harshita had to give up the title and the crown passed on to Tanvi Vyas
who represented India in the Miss Earth 2008 pageant held in November 2008.
Harshita was later placed fourth in Miss India 2009 and represented India in Miss International
2009.
Tantra Entertainment Pvt. Ltd., in partnership with Sushmita Sen, started a new pageant called
I Am She – Miss Universe India.
The winner of this pageant will participate in the Miss Universe pageant.
In 1989, the winner Kalpana Pandit was found to have misrepresented her nationality; she
was stripped of her title and Dolly Mihas was declared winner.
In 2004, Lakshmi Pandit was initially declared as the winner but had to return the title
as she was married; Sayali Bhagat was ultimately declared as the winner.
The Pandit sisters are from Mysore, Karnataka.
They are M.B.B.S graduates.
By number of wins Number of Placements and Best results at various
International Pageants India representatives to international pageants
The following women have represented India in international pageants:
Representatives as Miss India Universe India did not compete in the Miss Universe
pageant from 1953–1963.
I AM She – Miss Universe India sent its delegates to Miss Universe from 2010 to 2012.
A separate pageant Miss Diva 2013 is held to send delegates from 2013 onwards.
Winners Notes Lara Dutta previously was Miss Intercontinental
1997.
Representatives to Miss World India did not send delegates in 1967, 1965,
1964, 1963.
From 1959 to 1966 representatives to Miss World were sent by Eve's Weekly Miss India
pageant.
In 1968, Bharat Sundari got the franchise to send India's representative to Miss World.
They sent the delegates from 1968 to 1970, 1972, 1975.
Femina got the franchise in 1976.
Femina also sent delegates to Miss World in 1971 and 1974.
Titleholders Notes Elizabeth Anita Reddi was previously Miss
Teenage Intercontinental 1978.
Kalpana Iyer was previously Miss Teenage Intercontinental India 1976 and won Miss Popularity Award at
Miss Intercontinental Pageant 1976.
Parvathy Omanakuttan was the first ever winner of Miss India SouthPageant.
Navneet Kaur Dhillon was the winner of Femina Miss India Chandigarh 2013
Representatives to Miss Earth Representatives to Miss International
India did not send delegates to Miss International in 1963 -1967, 1972, 1977, 1989, 1990.
Representatives to Miss Supranational Nikita Sharma is replaced by Gunjan Saini
for undisclosed reasons.
in the year 2013 In the years 2011 and 2012 the representatives
to Miss Supranational pageant were sent by Indian Princess.
Femina got the franchise of Miss Supranational in 2013
Note Nikita Sharma is replaced by Gunjan Saini
for undisclosed reasons.
Representatives to Miss United Continent Representatives to Miss Asia Pacific World
Tanvi Singla, Miss Asia Pacific World India 2011 was sent by I Am She organization.
In 2012 India won Miss Asia Pacific World by Himangini Singh Yadu, but she was sent
by I Am She organization not Femina Miss India.
Femina did not own the franchise for Miss Asia Pacific World in 2014.
Anukriti Gusain, Miss Asia Pacific World India 2014 participated individually at Miss Asia
Pacific World 2014.
Representatives to Miss Universal Peace and Humanity
Representatives to Miss Tourism India is the only country to win this pageant
twice.
The pageant was not held in 2006.
Representatives to Miss Heritage World Since 2014, Mister International India holds
the franchise for Miss Heritage in India.
Representatives to Miss Asia Pacific International Titleholders Notes
Anabella Crawford, Miss Asia Pacific India 1968 later became Queen of the Pacific India
1969 and participated in Queen of the Pacific 1969 held in Australia
Marilyn Theresa Ferreira, Miss Asia Pacific India 1974 was crowned Queen of the Pacific
India 1974 and later became 2nd Runner up at Queen of the Pacific 1974 pageant.
Photographs of some international titleholders
See also Indian Princess
Miss Progress India Mister United Nations India
Mister World India Miss India Intercontinental
Miss India Tourism World Miss University India
Miss India Worldwide Miss India Worldwide India
List of beauty contests List of Indian beauty pageant winners
References
External links Femina Miss India official website
Femina Miss India Photos